Forever North
by LucidChocolate
Summary: Wandering the world, Melody ends up in La Push. Taken in by the wolf pack, her life takes a wild turn. When her secrets are unearthed, Melody has to choose love or independence. Will she return to the life of traveling she's always had? Or will she stay?
1. The Chase

**CHAPTER ONE: THE CHASE**

I waited until I was hidden by the shade of the trees, deep in the forest, to phase back into my human form. Slumping against the tree, I caught my breath. It had been a long, arduous flight. I hadn't realized how hungry and exhausted I was. Flying across the Pacific Ocean could to that to someone, even with a few stops along the way. I had never made such a long journey in all the years since I'd first morphed into a bird. True, I'd gone across the Atlantic Ocean, but as an amateur flyer at the time, I had mainly taken rides on the tops of cruise ships and the tops of airplanes.

"All right, Melody," I sighed. "Stop being lazy, let's see where we are." I decided to walk around and survey the forest, rather than fly up and get an aerial view. I missed my legs, missed being human, especially since the exhilaration of flying is lost when you fly for such extended periods of time.

I took in everything about the forest. I noticed the tall evergreen trees looming over me, and noted each bird species I saw, out of habit. As I was starting to notice more, I heard a voice behind me.

"It's not often I see someone like you here," the voice said, masculine yet, musical.

Clearing my throat, I turned around. Another person, finally! It had been so long since I'd spoken, I almost had to remember how.

Seeing him in front of me, I have no trouble finding my voice. I screamed. I knew immediately that the glowing red eyes meant danger, though I didn't know why. I did know that it was unnatural, and the way he was looking at me, like I was something to eat, was driving fear through my heart.

"Not so fast, darling," he said with a smug grin widening on his face. His open mouth now showed his teeth, and how sharp they were.

I sped away. I only managed to sprint a few feet before the red-eyed creep appeared instantly in front of me. I was shocked. I'm a bird, after all. I can run like I'm flying. How could he catch me, and not only that, but overtake me?

I tried again to dodge him. I didn't get half as far before he was standing right in front of me.

I'm freezing. I don't know what to do, but I'm absolutely petrified.

I moved to run again, but he instantly grabbed my wrist. I wrenched it out of his grip, and he looked shocked. He was clearly not used to that. I took advantage of the moment of weakness, running away again. I looked back to see him standing there still. Faster, Melody, Faster. I urged my legs to keep going, to push faster.

"You're not human, are you?" he called to me. "Well, I'll still give you a head start sweetheart. I'll play your game."

I tried to ignore him, to ignore his disturbing pet-names. I wasn't playing a game; I was trying to save myself, though I didn't know what from. I certainly didn't want to stop and ask.

Daring to look behind me when I heard pounding footsteps, I saw him, suddenly right behind me. He must certainly be inhuman, like me, but he was entirely a monster.

A clear thought made its way out of my mind, clouded by fear. How did I not think of this before?

When we reached a small clearing, I pushed myself to run as fast as possible, trying to gain momentum. I heard vicious snarling as I jumped, diving into the air. Wings sprouted out of me, and I stayed in the air, flying up. I looked down as I flew onto a tree branch to land.

The red-eyed man was being torn apart piece by piece, by a pack of wolves. I dropped in shock, falling to hit a tree branch lower down, and I turned back into a human. I began rolling off the branch, and grabbed it quickly, as I swung upside down, still holding on.

I looked down as I lowered myself to perch comfortably on the branch below me. I saw the wolves back away from the dismembered body. I stared, confused, until one by one, they moved behind the trees, and re-emerged; as humans.


	2. Strangers Like Me

_This is my first fanfic, so be patient, I'm still learning my way around the website. I haven't received any reviews for the first chapter yet, but I did see that quite a few people have read it, which made me happy enough! So, if you read, please review, whether it's good or bad._

**CHAPTER TWO: STRANGERS LIKE ME**

I stared in awe. They were _people!_ Yes, wolves, too. They were just like me, they took two forms. My mouth hung open, I could barely believe it. They had saved me; I owed them, possibly, my life. I knew I should thank them, but I was simply frozen, glued to the branch.**  
><strong>They gathered together, and as I snapped out of my daze, I decided to climb lower to hear what they were saying. I lay down on a branch, turning my head to face the small clearing, as half of them moved away from the body, while a few others stayed, approaching it carefully.

I squinted my eyes, trying to see more clearly. I saw one pull out a lighter. Quickly, he lit it, dragging the flame around all the body parts. A fire erupted, and I felt the blazing heat all the way from my tree.

I was so shocked by the inferno, my mouth hung open, and my hands became clumsy. I spun, falling of the tree branch, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"Shit," I muttered, holding my aching head with my hands, trying to ease the slight throbbing.

I felt as if I was being watched. Looking to my right, I saw several of the wolf-men approaching me. I sucked up the pain, and forced myself to stand up. Surprisingly, I found myself still craning my neck up to look at them. From the height of the trees, I hadn't realized they were all so tall. Two were standing decidedly in front of the others, with their arms crossed.

"Well, hi there," I said non-chalantly, brushing dirt off of my dress, and bending down to pick up the small satchel that held all of my 'worldly possessions'. The same two wolf-men in the front practically stared me down, and something felt authoritative about them. I did a quick inspection of them all. They each wore shorts, lacked shirts, had cropped, dark hair, were incredibly tall, and ridiculously muscular. They carried a sense of unity with them; they all had traits that marked them as a distinct group.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" asked one with a deep, strong voice. He seemed to be the oldest of them all. I began walking to my side as I answered.

"Didn't you ever learn any manners? Ever heard of an introduction?" I asked, with my automatic defensive nature dictating my words. I turned around, immediately regretting my response. I saw the face of the man who had spoken to me, and he looked shocked. He most likely wasn't used to people giving him attitude. I felt nerves slowly creep onto me as I saw several pairs of hands ball into fists.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out, as sincerely and apologetically as I could manage. "I must've forgotten my manners at the other end of the Pacific," I tried to form even a small smile. Then, it fell. It seemed as if I'd confused everybody more. I decided to just answer the questions he'd given me.

"My name is Melody, and I'm here because I flew here, and-" I was cut off.

"This _is _the girl that the leech was chasing. The one that turned into a bird," said the other wolf-man who also acted like a leader.

"So you noticed," I nodded, trying to figure out what he'd meant by "leech", when it dawned on me. "You mean a vampire, don't you? I should have realized, especially after Romania…" I said, my thoughts trailing on.

"Well then, Melody," said the younger leader "how is it that you seem to know everything?"

"I'm just like you, aren't I? I noticed you all phase, but you know that of course, otherwise you wouldn't be so hostile, would you?" I said, knowing their facial reactions meant I was right. "This is just as much my secret as it is yours, I wouldn't say anything," I finished, and saw their expressions calm.

"She's right. We'll bring her back to the house." I nodded in agreement, even knowing that it was an order for everyone, not a suggestion. "I'm Sam," he said, looking back to me. "This is Jacob, Paul, Jared, Leah, Seth, Brady, Collin…" he continued as I whispered under my breath, trying to keep the names straight.

"I think I got it," I said, running through the list and looking at everybody.

"Let's go," said Sam, nodding. I followed them as they began walking.

"Meet us at the house," Jacob shouted, to everyone trying to tame the fire burning the vampire. A thick smoke rose from the inferno, clouding the air. I stifled a cough as Jacob turned around to me again.

"We'll get there faster if we phase," Jacob stated as everyone else turned around. I realized they were all looking at me.

"Okay," I said, pushing through them. As soon as I was in front of all of them, I broke into a sprint.

"Where is she going?" Sam growled. I nearly laughed, realizing they probably thought I was running away, though no one was running after me. I jumped up, springing into a back-flip as I phased. I turned in flight to look at them. They all stood still, even when I flew around them in a circle. I landed on the ground in front of them, and phased back.

"Are you coming? I don't exactly know where I'm going." I said, staring at them, waiting for some reaction. All I got was I smile from Seth. They started ducking into the trees, and came back out as wolves.

"Thank you," I smiled. They ran alarmingly fast in one direction. "Here goes nothing," I muttered, running forward and phasing again to follow them.


	3. Q & A

_I'm sorry I haven't updated in the past week, I was grounded! In this chapter, we learn a little bit more about Melody, and we'll learn more and more as the story progresses. Leave Questions and Comments as a Review. I would love to get some more reviews :)_

_I'm still learning my way around fanfic, so I realized I should put a disclaimer!_

_I'm not Stephenie Meyer, and I don't own Twilight! Just Melody (and Sophie + April, who you meet) and my storyline!_

**CHAPTER THREE: Q & A**

When we finally emerged from the forest, I saw a large wooden house. I landed in a tree branch, phasing back, and I climbed down. I saw everyone leave the forest in their human forms. I figured they phased behind trees for the sake of discretion, it was a secret after all.

"How do you do that?" asked Seth, walking over to me. Sam and Jacob turned their around immediately to look at him.

"Do what?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Phase with your clothes on," he said casually, and I burst out laughing.

"Seth!" Jacob and Sam shouted, and Seth looked instantly embarrassed.

"What?" Seth shouted defensively.

"What kind of a question is that?" Sam bellowed.

"It's what everybody's wondering," Paul shrugged. My laughter subsided, and I drew a long breath.

"It's okay, Seth," I smiled reassuringly. Everyone still looked at me, expecting an answer.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "that's just how it's always been." Then it dawned on me; the reason they always hid before they phased either way.

"Does that mean…that you guys _can't_?" I asked, absolutely stunned. First, Paul snickered, and everyone followed suit, laughing hysterically. Seth just nodded, confirming my statement. I rolled my eyes, waiting for them their 'giggle fit' to subside. They finally calmed down.

"Well, thank god I can, I wouldn't have _survived_ without this," I said, waving around the small purse slung around my shoulder. They all fell silent, as if they'd just realized what a struggle even survival has been for me.

"You'll tell us about it over lunch," Sam said in his authoritative voice, almost as if he'd read my mind. He gestured towards the house as everyone began walking towards the large porch. As I walked towards the house, I noticed a procession of girls burst through the door, each just as beautiful as the next. I insecurely twisted a strand of my long, dark hair in my fingers. I had never thought much about beauty, but suddenly, seeing these girls made me feel like looks mattered. They each leapt into the arms of one of the rugged, muscled men of the pack. I felt a strange, foreign pang of loneliness. They all looked so brilliantly happy. Despite being by myself the majority of the time, I rarely had displays of such affectionate kissing and embracing for me to feel lonely rather than free and independent.

Sam approached me, his arm protectively wrapped around a beautiful woman and her bulging stomach.

"Melody, this is my wife Emily," he introduced her, beaming. She reached out to give me a quick hug, and as she smiled, scars stretched on her face, and I could have sworn I heard Sam growl as my eyes lingered on them.

"I hope you're hungry," she smiled, leading the way to a long table on the shaded porch. I knew immediately that I liked her. She was warm, friendly, welcoming, and hospitable.

As we reached the table, my mouth dropped open in shock. I couldn't recall ever seeing that much food in one place in all my life. Large bowls of food were lined up along the entire length of the table. Even with the fairly large group of people present, the surplus of food was astounding.

"Did you make _all _of this food?" I asked Emily.

"You'd be surprised at the appetite these boys have," she laughed.

Emily introduced me to the other girls; Kim, Rachel, Sophie, April, and Leah who I'd met earlier. They were all so beautiful, all I could do was choke out a simple "hi". I seated myself, and Leah leaned in to talk to me.

"I'm so glad to finally have another girl here," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking around confused.

"Another…shape-shifter," she smiled, as she began to eat. It dawned on me that none of the other girls were shape-shifters. I hoped I could befriend Leah, even though I had no idea how long I planned to stay, or how long I was welcome.

After everyone else had started eating, I joined in, enjoying my meal. The quality of the food was definitely not sacrificed for quantity. I noticed all of the boys wolfing the food on their plates down their throats.

"So what do you think of their table manners?" Kim asked, and everyone looked up from their food at me.

"The lions and tigers were worse," I shrugged, replying honestly. Everyone's eyes widened.

"You have to tell us about you, _now_!" Seth said, verbalizing the curiosity in everyone's faces.

"I guess I'll start from the beginning," I sighed.

_I don't remember anything before I phased for the first time. All I remember is that I was on a school field trip to the zoo. I still see myself, skipping around as a small, eight year old girl with my friends. The next thing I knew, I was trapped in a cage at the zoo, and I was covered in feathers; I'd turned into a bird. I figured out how to fly, and all of the other birds guided me. They didn't know I was actually human, and I wasn't sure if I'd only dreamt about being the little girl. I don't fit in with any existing bird species, so they'd had a huge sign posted outside my cage that labeled me as the most exotic bird in the world .I don't know what my name was before, so I adopted the name they gave me at the zoo; Melody. __After two years, I escaped. I flew all around the East Coast. One day, I focused hard enough on the memory of myself as a little girl, and I was the same little girl again. I've been travelling the world ever since; South America, the Caribbean, then Africa, Europe, Asia, and I'd finally ended up back in America._

I finished the condensed version of my story, and everyone stared at me, questions still in their eyes. Maybe they wanted more details, but I could sit for years and talk about my adventures.

"If you have a question, you can ask me," I offered nervously.

"I think everyone has a lot of questions," Sam said knowingly. "We'll find some time for you to tell us some stories later on."

I nodded, grateful for Sam's suggestion.

"Eat," he ordered. Everyone started eating again.

"Did you really live in a zoo?" asked Kim, breathless. I nodded.

"You phased for the first time when you were eight? How does that work?" Jacob asked, holding onto one detail I'd given him.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "It just happened." He nodded, and everyone refocused on their food. The boys went right back to scarfing down their food. Suddenly, there was a deep laugh as Paul saw me, eating my food in small, neat bites.

"What?" I asked meekly, slightly embarrassed.

"You eat like a bird," he explained, the laughter still in his voice.

"Well, you eat like a wolf," I retorted, failing to hide my smile as everyone laughed. Two other figures were jogging towards the porch. I could only guess from their appearance that they were two more members of the pack, the ones who'd been taking care of the fire.

"Melody," said Sam as my head snapped up to face him. The two other pack members stood beside him.

"This is Quil and Embry," introduced Sam, gesturing towards them.

"Hi," I said, giving a small wave with my hand. Quil moved to sit down in an empty seat, but Embry stood still. He simply stared at me. Perhaps he was mad that I was here, or he had no idea who I was. Instead of questioning me, or even Sam, his gaze continued. I felt nervous, not recognizing the emotion that filled his dark eyes as he watched me. I looked down, realizing that I'd been returning his gaze. I still felt his eyes on me. Slowly, others began to notice he'd remained standing.

"Embry, sit down and eat," Emily said. Sam looked up as soon as she spoke.

"Embry, sit," he echoed Emily. Embry began to move, but stopped again, his eyes still locked on me. I shifted nervously in my seat. The other guys began to look up.

"Dude!" Jared exclaimed, as my eyes flickered up to him. Jared's eyes shifted between me and Embry. My eyes shifted between Jared, Embry, and Sam. Soon everyone had turned their attention to Embry. I tried to keep my eyes focused on the table. Jacob and Sam stood at the same time, ordering Embry to follow them. He followed, seeming reluctant, but he kept his eyes trained on me. I breathed, almost in relief, as soon as they were out of sight.

"What was that?" I said softly, turning to Emily.


	4. There She Goes

_Here's another chapter, hope you guys like it! I'm back to updating more often since I'm not grounded anymore :) (I know I've only been posting for a week, but still). We finally get to see another POV: Embry's! I hope you enjoy, please R&R!_

**CHAPTER FOUR: THERE SHE GOES**

_***EMBRY'S POV***_

"No way man, it was all me," said Quil, trying to claim all the credit for defeating another leech.

"Sure it was," I laughed. I replayed the entire attack in my head. "Actually, Jake got him first," I realized, smirking at Quil.

"Whatever," he said, waving off his failure.

"Hey Quil," I said, as the all the details of the attack came back to me.

"Yeah," he said casually. We'd decided to walk back to Sam and Emily's, since we'd already phased, it seemed tedious to phase back.

"Wasn't the leech _chasing _someone?" I asked, and Quil seemed to be reviewing everything in his head as well.

"Yeah, I think it was," he nodded.

"Isn't that weird, though? They're just as fast as we are, why would they need to _chase _someone?" I wondered.

"You're right…" Quil realized "for once," he laughed.

"Hey!" I said, punching his arm.

"Come on! Well, whoever they are, they're probably with Sam and Em," Quil said as we neared the house. Running up to the porch, Quil stopped in front of me. I saw the newcomer easily, though she could have easily blended in with everyone. Her head was turned while she laughed with everyone.

"Everything's okay. I'll explain later," Sam said, turning to us. Technically he wasn't our Alpha anymore, but everyone still respected him as a leader. Plus, it was almost like having two Alphas now, since Sam and Jake were trying to merge the packs back together. Sam was going to quit phasing once Emily had the baby, and Jake would be the only Alpha. There was definitely some tension, but there was too much respect between everyone for there to be any problems.

Sam turned back away from us.

"Melody," he called. She twisted her head around to face Sam, her hair swaying with her movement. I had to catch my breath as she looked up at me.

"Hi," she said, in a soft, melodic voice.

She was so beautiful, it was crazy. Her hair was dark, a deep, rich brown that was nearly black. It framed her face perfectly, straight with a slight wave to it. Her hair was so long, I couldn't see the end of it while she was seated. Her features were angular, but they still had a gentle softness to them. She had flawless skin that seemed so similar to mine, but hers wasn't copper toned. It was more like a golden brown, almost as if she radiated sunlight. Her eyes were a sparkling silver with slight hints of purple. Her lips were small and round, and they were a muted raspberry color.

I realized she was looking back at me. Her gorgeous face betrayed her emotion, and I saw that she was very nervous.

"Embry, sit," Sam barked, the Alpha tone in his voice pulling me out of my daze. I wondered momentarily if anyone else had spoken to me. That didn't matter, all that mattered was her; Melody. I started to move, I wanted her to relax, I didn't want her to be nervous, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from her.

"Dude!" I heard Jared shout. I knew this was it. I had imprinted. Even Collin and Brady had beaten me to the punch, but she was worth the wait.

"Embry. Forest. Now." Jake said slowly. It was a direct order. There was no possible way for me to disobey. I kept my eyes on her as long as I could, and her eyes followed me as I unwillingly followed Sam and Jake around the house into the forest. Once she was out of sight, I turned to Jake and Sam. They both phased, and I followed suit. Sam began first.

"_It's easier to explain things this way,"_ Sam began.

"_Explain what?" _I wondered. Sam and Jake took turns showing me different scenes. I saw her, leaping into the air and turning into a bird; her, standing up for herself against the guys; her, spouting out clever comebacks; and her, calmly talking about her history like she was reading a story from a book.

"_Wow," _was all I could manage.

"_We weren't sure if we could trust her at first,"_ Jacob began, and I interrupted him with a growl. How could they not trust her? I felt so defensive immediately, it almost scared me.

"_Relax, there's no need to be defensive,"_ Sam commanded.

"_We know we can trust her now, especially since you imprinted on her," _finished Jacob.

"_We weren't sure what to do about this situation, but we're definitely going to have her stay with us now,"_ Sam said.

"_If she agrees," _Jake chimed in.

"_Of course she'll agree," _I said. Why wouldn't she want to stay?

"_We'll see about that." _

I growled at Jake's words.

"_Hey, man, come on," _Jake tried to calm me, again.

"_We need to figure out where Melody is going to stay."_ Sam was actually trying to be productive.

"_She can't stay with you, Embry. You should know that," _Jake reminded me as my train of thought wandered.

"_Why not?"_ I asked.

"_Because you can't be that forward. Plus, your Mom doesn't know about the pack. How would you explain anything to her?" _Of course, leave it to Sam to think about everything practically.

"_Okay, so where is she supposed to stay?" _I asked.

"_She can stay with us,"_ Sam offered. I mulled it over in my mind. _My_ Melody staying with Sam?

"_We have space, and Emily could probably use some help around the house, too. She won't admit it, but with the baby coming…" _ Sam voiced his concern for Emily, and I was beginning to understand him more. His idea made sense, and he was also being generous, as always. Melody staying with Sam and Emily was probably a good idea for everyone.

"_All right then, let's do it," _Jake tried to wrap everything up.

"_Not so fast," _Sam stopped Jake. I could feel the sudden tension between the two of them, the clashing Alphas. They slowly began to approach each other.

"_Woah there, calm down guys." _Now I was the one trying to get them to relax.

"_Sorry,"_ Jake tried to brush off the incident.

"_You have to figure out how and when you're going to tell her about the imprinting. She already knows about the wolves, but not about that."_ Sam said.

"_I don't want to tell her yet. At least, I don't think I do. I want to get to know her first," _I decided. Already felt the need to protect her, to only tell her when she was ready to hear it.

"_I understand," _Jacob sympathized. He was still waiting to tell Ness, physically she was only about sixteen.

"_I think that's everything. Let's go finish up lunch. We'll have to talk to Melody afterwards about the arrangements."_ Sam phased when he finished, not waiting for a response.

"_He still thinks he's my Alpha," _Jake growled. As the Alpha, Jake was usually always level-headed. It was strange to see him and Sam so tense.

"_Don't stress over it. He's just frustrated, between his 'retirement' and Emily,"_ I tried to reassure Jake. He might be my Alpha, but he was still my best friend.

"_Right."_ Jake calmed himself, phasing back with me.

We started walking back around to the porch. All I could think about was Melody. How exactly do I introduce myself to the love of my life?


	5. Battle Scars

_My last chapter left me with 4,999 words, so I just couldn't wait to post more. For some reason, though, the internet at home isn't working, but I'm going to my dad's this weekend, so I should be fine then. I'm posting this chapter from school, thank god I already had the document uploaded! This is a short one, but we get into the characters a little more. I really hope you guys enjoy! Please review, so I know what you guys like, what you don't, and what you're confused by. The next chapter is going to be an interesting one! Stay tuned..._

* * *

><p><strong>C<strong>**HAPTER FIVE: BATTLE SCARS**

_***Melody's POV***_

Everyone was milling around the house once they'd finished eating. Looking at the table, I noticed it was just me and Emily finishing up; me slowed down by my habit of eating slowly, Emily by her new, growing appetite. The other plates were left as they were, on the table.

"Way to clean up after yourselves, guys," I shouted.

"It's all right," Emily smiled, "I always clean up."

I was taken aback. She opened up her home, cooked mounds of food for everyone, and cleaned it all afterwards. I had never seen such generosity. In the wild, animals followed the ancient philosophy of 'an eye for an eye.' I saw Emily beginning to pile up the dishes, and I instantly felt guilty. I felt like I owed her for the meal, I wasn't family like everyone else.

"Let me help you," I offered, standing and balancing plates in my hand. We walked cautiously inside, placing the stacks on the counter. As she began rinsing and scrubbing the plates, I joined her.

"Emily," I began carefully, once my hands were sufficiently soapy.

"Yes," Emily answered, beckoning me to continue.

"How did you get your scars?" I asked quietly, knowing it was a sensitive subject. Emily sighed, and she stopped her hands from their task, looking as if she was considering what to say, if anything.

"In the beginning, my relationship with Sam was complicated," her hands started washing again.

That surprised me, I couldn't imagine the two of them being anything but perfect together, even after spending such little time with them.

"One day, we got into an argument, he got mad, and phased while he was right next to me. He didn't do it on purpose of course, and ever since…" her voice trailed off. Once again, I was shocked. I couldn't imagine Sam hurting Emily.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, unsure what to say. It was definitely a bad time to ask her the question that popped into the back of my head; did being angry make the wolves phase?

"Don't be," Emily shrugged it off. She had clearly put it behind her.

"Do you know what they remind me of?" I asked meekly, wanting to tell her why I'd asked in the first place.

"What?" She asked curiously.

"Battle scars," I admitted, "Like lions have. Lions have to fight for their pride whenever they're faced with a challenger. Their scars are a sign of strength. It shows that they've been through a lot, but they can still come out on top," I explained, wondering if I'd made myself sound completely foolish.

Emily paused in her chore again, and turned to stare at me. I tilted my head down. Of course I sounded ridiculous. On top of it all, she probably now thought I was crazy.

"That's beautiful," Emily breathed. I let out a deep breath, relieved she wasn't offended.

"I've never known anyone to think of it like that, thank you," she continued, "I'll have to tell Sam. Maybe he'll finally forgive himself," she smiled at me.

"Oh, he won't be mad will he? That I asked you about it?" I was worried as I thought of him growling at me for even looking at her scars.

"No, of course not! Well, especially not after I tell him your interpretation of everything," she assured me.

"Do you have any battle scars?" I knew Emily was trying to lighten up the conversation.

"A few, but nothing significant," I smiled.

As we set up the last of the dishes in the drying rack, I heard footsteps walking through the door. Me and Emily turned around, to see three large, copper-skinned men walking inside; Sam, Jake, and Embry.

"I set aside some food for you," she smiled, pushing three heaping plates onto the counter. Sam gave her a wide smile, and as the three of them came closer, my heart rate sped up. I knew they weren't dangerous, but my heart still drummed faster and faster inside my chest.

What was happening to me?


	6. Small Talk

_Just a quick note, I probably should have done this for the first chapter but I forgot. This story takes place 4 years after Breaking Dawn. Don't worry, you'll finally get to see some of Melody and Embry together. Let me know what you think of them! Please leave reviews so I can get your feedback! I hope you enjoy!_

**CHAPTER SIX: SMALL TALK**

_***Embry's POV***_

The air filled with noise as we walk around to the house. The rest of the guys were tackling each other to the ground playing football. The girls leaned against the cars, absorbed in their gossip. The table on the porch was empty, all of the food gone.

Me, Sam, and Jake looked at each other quickly, knowing we were thinking the same thing. After all, wolves need to eat.

"Inside," Sam said, sniffing the air, obviously looking for Emily. Jake shrugged and we followed Sam as he quickly went inside. As soon as I was inside, my eyes gravitated to one person standing in the kitchen; Melody.

"I saved some food for you." I barely heard Emily, all of my focus was on Melody, who was looking down, drying her hands on a towel. I could see her fully now, now that my view of her wasn't obscured. Her dark hair fell down to her waist, it was longer than I'd thought, but it was beautiful, it suited her perfectly. From there, I couldn't stop myself from noticing how small her waist was, I could probably wrap around it with only one arm. She was thin, and seemed almost delicate, though her body had a kind of strength about it, especially her toned legs which were showcased by her simple, short white dress.

I then realized she was taking her time drying her hands, almost as if it were an excuse to keep her eyes downcast. What was she trying to avoid looking at? Right when I was starting to feel worried, Jake smacked me on the arm.

"Stop that," Jake said quietly, using the low voice we always used when we wanted to say something secretive within the pack. I wondered if Melody had sharper hearing or heightened senses like we did since she was a shape shifter too. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her, it seemed physically impossible. Jake punched me, hitting me harder this time.

"Just eat! Focus on your food," Jake ordered. Sitting at the kitchen table, Sam pulled Emily into his lap. Me and Jake sat down next to them, and Melody hesitated before sitting across the table from us.

I ate quickly, hungry from everything that had happened. I desperately wanted to say something to her, but I couldn't think of the perfect thing to say. I never knew imprinting would turn me into something of a hopeless romantic. I kept my mouth filled with food to prevent saying something stupid.

"So, Melody," Emily tried to carry out a conversation. "We're having a bonfire on the beach tomorrow night, Jake's dad Billy Black always tells the legends of the tribe. We'd love for you to come."

Melody's face lit up at Emily's offer, and I instantly wished I'd invited her.

"Oh, that sounds like so much fun!" Melody smiled.

"I'm sure everyone is dying to hear your stories too, if you don't mind," Emily said.

"I don't mind at all," said Melody.

"Good," Emily said with an accomplished smile.

"So you've done a lot, Melody. Travelling around the world sounds like fun," Emily said.

"It usually is, but it's not like I've had much of a choice, she shrugged. Emily nodded.

"So, how long have you been travelling?" Emily asked, just as curious as everyone to hear Melody's odyssey.

"A while," Melody shrugged, "since I was ten."

"So how old are you now?" Emily asked.

"Seventeen," Melody replied simply, and I started choking on my food, coughing loudly, barely focusing on anything but my shock. Shit, seventeen? That meant I was in the same position as Jake and Quil. She was still young, so I had to keep a respectful distance. I hadn't even wondered how old she was before. Seventeen to my twenty-one. Damn.

I barely noticed Jake and Sam next to me, failing at stifling their laughs. Emily just smiled and rolled her eyes. I had my breath knocked out of me again, when I looked up at Melody. Her eyes were filled with concern; for me.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice drenched with worry.

I nodded as best as I could, my coughing dying down. It wouldn't be too bad, waiting for her. I could only tell her everything when she was old enough, when she was ready. I knew that was best for her. I realized Me and Jake would be about even with the age of our imprints when they accepted us, considering Nessie's advanced aging. I couldn't do much but me Melody's friend until she was at least eighteen, it was the right thing to do. Jake had agreed with Edward and Bella he would wait until Ness was eighteen too. Just something else for us to go through together. I wouldn't have to wait as long as Quil at least; Claire was only six. The three of us, best friends, we were all in the same boat. An alpha voice snapped be back into the conversation that had continued while I was lost in my thoughts.

"You're going to stay with us, Melody" said Sam, who'd just finished his food.

"Only if you're sure, I don't want to impose," Melody said, running her fingers through her long hair.

"Of course we're sure!" Emily exclaimed, as if insulted that Melody had thought any different. It was no wonder Sam offered for Melody to stay, he knew Emily so well.

"Okay," Melody nodded, "thank you."

"No problem," Emily smiled, and Melody smiled back.

"Well if you boys are done," Emily gestured to our empty plates, "I'll just clean that up."

"Oh, Emily I can do it," Melody offered, holding out her hands.

"No, no, I'll do it," Emily waved her hands.

"I'm doing it," Sam pulled the plates into his hands.

"Thank you," Emily smiled, rubbing his back and kissing his cheek. She got up from Sam's lap to let him stand.

"Embry, can you show Melody the guest room?" Emily asked sitting, and visibly rubbing her stomach. I owed her, she was trying to give me time with Melody.

"Sure," I agreed, standing up, and Melody stood up accordingly.

"Lead the way," she gestured, smiled slightly.

"Follow me," I smiled back, tilting my head towards the staircase. Going up the staircase, I kept myself turned slightly sideways, to make sure she was still behind me. She was following me almost absent-mindedly, looking around the house. Reaching the top of the stairs, I walked up to the guest room door.

"Here we are," I said, opening the door, as Melody's head turned to pay attention to me. She walked up to me, and stopped to look at me after glancing into the room. I nodded, and she went inside. The room was simple; a dresser, a twin bed with a nightstand, a lounge chair, and an adjoining bathroom. She was smiling, spinning to look around her.

"I'm guessing you like it," I leaned against the doorway.

"It's-it's…lovely," she breathed.

"It's all Emily," I told her.

"She's good at everything, isn't she?" asked Melody.

"I guess," I shrugged, "do you have any stuff to bring into the room?"

"No," she shook her head, "just this," she patted a small leather pouch by her hip, which was slung over her shoulder on a thin strap.

"That's it? What do you have in there?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's it, I travel light," she laughed lightly.

"I didn't think you were high maintenance," I grinned. "Can I see?" I pointed to her bag.

"Far from it. And sure!" Melody jumped up onto the bed, folding her legs to sit on her heels. She put the bag down on the bed, then looked up when she opened it. I paused, I didn't want to make an ass of myself. I didn't want to just want to sit myself on her bed, she was seventeen. That number was the only thing restraining me, keeping me in control of my actions.

"You can sit down, you know," she smiled, almost like she'd read my thoughts. I smiled at her invitation, and sat at the edge of the bed as she pulled her things out of her bag.

"What's this?" I asked, holding up a small, worn leather-bound notebook.

"Oh that," she said softly, pulling it from my hands. She looked down to her hands bashfully, and it made me more curious.

"Can I see?" I ventured, holding out my hand for the notebook. She toyed with it in her hands, pressing her lips together.

"Okay," she whispered, handing it to me. I looked up, to see her watching me with a nervous smile, anticipating a reaction. I untied the small string keeping the notebook closed, and opened it carefully. Flipping through the pages, all I saw was blurs of color. I stopped to turn the pages slowly, and for the millionth time today, I had the wind knocked out of me. The notebook was filled with page after page of illustrations; animals of all kinds, especially birds. The creatures seemed to jump out of the page, the drawings were so realistic, drawn so skillfully. Most of them had captions scrawled in a curled handwriting; names, places, notes, and descriptions.

"Did you draw all of these?" I asked, in awe.

"Yes," Melody nodded quietly, her eyes downcast.

"They're amazing," I admitted.

"Really? You think so?" Her head snapped up and she had a wide smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile too; she was smiling because of me.

"Of course I do," I said, "did you see all of these animals?"

"Yeah, they're observational," she nodded. I flipped through drawings of birds, deer, bears, then elephants, giraffes, and stopped when I saw several drawings of lions. One drawing in particular caught my eye.

"I've never seen lions like this," I held up the book.

"Some of the animals in there are shape-shifters," she answered casually.

"Which ones?" I asked excitedly. Everyone else would be fascinated by this too, especially Sam, and the elders.

"All of the ones with purple writing at the top," she pointed to page I was on, her finger indicating the bright violet notes heading the page. Flipping through the pages, my eyes widened.

"That's half of these," I couldn't believe that she's crossed paths with that many shape-shifters, there couldn't be that many, could there? No one had ever given a thought to other shape-shifters, even though we knew vampires were scattered all over the globe.

"You didn't think you were the only ones, did you?" she asked with a playful smile, taking the book from my hands, and waving it back and forth.

"Yeah, we did actually," I admitted. She burst out laughing, and I couldn't find the punch-line, but I had to smile when she laughed.

"Sorry," she sighed, her laughter subsiding.

"It's okay," I assured her, "so, do you want a tour of La Push," I asked, hoping she would agree.

"La Push?" she knitted her eyebrows together, confused. That was just adorable.

"It's the name of the reservation," I explained.

"Oh. Sure!" she jumped up, scooping her things back into her small bag.

"You can leave that here you know," I gestured to her bag.

"No, I take this everywhere," she shook her head.

"All right," I said, noting that detail, "Let's go!"


	7. Insanity

_I'm sorry! Between studying for finals and the fact that my internet at home is down, I haven't been able to post (thank god the internet at my dad's works). My last day of school/last final is wednesday, so after that, I should be back to posting regularly, even if I have to drag my laptop to Starbucks everyday or something._

_Okay, so I had planned for this chapter to take a completely different direction, but Melody is a really strong, stubborn character, and she really just took over. She kind of wrote the whole chapter. I've never had that happen before, it was really weird. So hopefully you enjoy! Thanks for reading!_

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><p><strong>CHAPTER SEVEN: INSANITY<strong>

** ***_**Melody's POV***_

Stop it, stop it, stop it! I wanted desperately to knock some sense into my head. I was acting so out of character. I kept letting my guard down, even though I knew better. For some reason, I already trusted everyone here completely. That scared me more than anything. I've never opened up to anyone to show them who I really am unless I'd stayed with them for months.

Then there was Embry. Throughout my conversation with him, I'd been a great deal more enthusiastic than I naturally am. I'd felt this strange desire to impress him, I wanted him to like me. What was that about? I'd tried my best to be witty and charming…why? I wanted to smack myself in the face for letting him see my notebook. It was mine. It was _mine_; private and personal. It kept me connected to who I was. No one had ever seen it, and I'd handed it to him like it was nothing.

Still, when he looked at my drawings, the labor of my love, I desperately wanted a positive reaction from him. He had loved them, and I was ecstatic. Then, I'd jumped at the chance to spend more time with him. I felt so confused, what was happening to me? The trusting nature of all of these people was eroding my animalistic survival instincts. They didn't understand what it was like to scramble for food or to be constantly unsure if those around you intended to kill you or not. I knew better than to forget that.

Heading down the stairs, I was aware of Embry's presence right behind me. I felt a rush of pride as I was able to find my way straight to the porch door, perfectly remembering the layout of the house.

"So," I began, "where are we going first?" I walked through the door as Embry held it open for me. I turned to face him as he stepped in front of me.

"You'll see," Embry smirked, his eyes full of mischief. My animal instincts were screaming at me; don't follow him, don't trust him, run away. In spite of that, I had a strange feeling in my gut that I could trust him, that I could trust everyone here. They didn't have the selfish, manipulative, animalistic mindset that I was so used to encountering. My human instincts fought off my animal instincts, and I followed Embry off the porch, into the yard.

Sam sat on a bench with Emily resting her head on his shoulder, watching the rest of the guys play football.

"I'm going to show Melody around," Embry told him, continuing to walk.

"Okay," Sam nodded. His eyes darted around thoughtfully, and then he held his hand up.

"Wait," Sam's deep voice boomed.

"What's up," Embry asked casually, turning around to face Sam.

"I was thinking…" his eyes flickered to me, "we've never come across anyone like Melody, not even in legends."

"So?" Embry said quickly, with an irritated edge to his voice. For a moment, Sam gave Embry a warning look. It dawned on me that the pack must want to keep exchanges like that between themselves, but my senses were too sharp, nothing got past me.

"I was wondering if she would be able to join the pack, maybe he still has the ability to tap into the mind link even though she's different from us. We could phase to see if it's possible," Sam continued.

"No," Embry stated definitively; eyes narrowed and fists clenched.

"Excuse me?" I crossed my arms, raising my eyebrows. He couldn't make decisions for me. I always made my own decisions. I wondered briefly if he had something against me like I'd first thought when he'd stared at me during lunch.

"What?"Embry asked innocently, as if he didn't realize the cause of my anger.

"Do you have an issue with me or something?" I asked, keeping my eyebrows raised as I turned from Sam to speak to Embry directly.

"No!" he shouted fervently.

"So what's the problem?" I asked with a tone that demanded an answer.

"It's dangerous," Embry insisted.

"Dangerous," I sneered, "you're telling _me _what's dangerous?"

"Yeah," he nodded, almost as if it was ridiculous I could think otherwise.

"I'm not a little kid, I don't need anyone to make decisions for me," I told him.

"You're not an adult, Melody, you're seventeen," he countered. For some reason I couldn't fathom, he looked at me with worry in his eyes. For another reason I couldn't identify, this almost made me angrier.

"Well, let's throw you into the street with nothing but the clothes on your back, then we'll see who's an adult," I said through my teeth.

"Enough," Sam barked, "Both of you need to cool down." Embry stopped, turning away from me, following his Alpha's command. I stopped and turned away out of embarrassment. I'd crossed a line, I'd said too much.

"I'm sorry," I apologized quietly. Sam nodded in acceptance, and Embry's face softened.

"Embry, you can't decide things for other people," Sam scolded.

"Melody," he began, and I braced myself for him telling me to leave, "we'll deal with this later."

My head snapped up in shock. Later. He'd lectured Embry, but not me. He hadn't revoked his invitation for me to stay, either. I was still welcome here. These people were constantly surprising me.

"Thank you," I nodded gratefully, and Emily smiled at me.

"Sorry," Embry apologized solemnly, as he and Sam nodded to each other.

"Do you still want to go?" Embry asked gently.

"If you're up for it," I nodded contritely, mustering a smile.

"Come on," he nodded, waving his hand for me to come with him.

I followed Embry, but froze in my tracks when I saw him stop in front of a pickup truck, and pull a pair of keys out of his pocket and spin the key ring around his finger.

"What's wrong?" he asked calmly, tilting his head. I looked up, and his eyes were filled with more concern than his voice gave away.

"I've never been in a car before," I muttered, folding my arms and looking down at the ground. Hearing him chuckle, I remembered that he had super-hearing too. I looked back up, and he was still laughing, with his head back. I rolled my eyes at Embry, and he fake-coughed to stop laughing.

"You're going to have to get used to being around cars, almost the entire pack are mechanics," he informed me, his head leaning to the side, with a goofy grin on his face.

"Really?" I asked uneasily, half-hoping had been joking.

"Yeah," he nodded, "Jake and Sam run their own auto repair shop, and they gave us all jobs. It makes it easier to manage work hours and patrols," he told me.

"Are Sam and Jake the boss of everything?" I smiled, trying to lighten the mood, and talk about anything but cars.

"I guess so," Embry laughed, after thinking for a moment.

"Have you really never been in a car?" Embry spoke again after a pause.

"No," I shook my head, "not that I remember, at least. I'm sure I probably rode in a car before I phased, but…"

"You don't remember anything at all from before?" he asked incredulously.

"Nope. Sometimes, little things will trigger memories, but not of anything significant," I shrugged.

"That's crazy," his eyes widened, "I can't imagine that," he finished, his voice filled with sympathy.

"Well, you guys are pretty special," I admitted.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking both confused and hopeful.

"Sometimes people remember where they came from after they shape-shift, but I've never seen such a large group of shape-shifters. I've also never seen any with such an amazing support system," I explained.

"I guess we are pretty special," he smiled over-confidently.

"Maybe unique is a better word than special," I corrected myself, not wanting him to get a big head. "I wonder what else you guys can do…" I finished.

"Well there's the mind thing," he said, his voice trailing off like he was going to continue with a list, but I interrupted him.

"What mind thing? Is that the 'mind-link' Sam was talking about?" I asked curiously.

"Maybe we should continue this conversation in the car," he said, purposely not satiating my curiosity.

"Do we have to?" I asked, trying not to sound whiny.

"If you want me to tell you about the pack and show you around La Push, then yes," he smirked.

"I can just ask someone else," I countered.

"You're going to have to ride in a car sooner or later," he pointed out.

"Fine," I mumbled, realizing he was right. This could not end well. Cars scared me half to death. Sure, I could fly around the world, but that was by my own power. I couldn't trust a car like I could trust myself. Besides, I wasn't very fond of being enclosed in such a small space. I pressed my lips into a nervous line.

"You'll be fine," Embry assured me, smiling confidently. He patted my back lightly, and kept his hand there to guide me around the car to the passenger side.

"If I die, I blame you," I laughed. I was serious, but I was trying to keep our dialogue light. I felt bad after our confrontation, and he was still being kind enough to show me around. The least I owed him was complying with this request, especially since it was impractical for me to be scared of cars.

"That won't happen," he promised, "you can trust me, I'm a pro!"

That last part made me smile, and I laughed lightly, sliding into the seat. He ran around to the other side quickly, sliding into his seat and turning the key in the ignition.

"You have to put your seatbelt on," he said when he turned to me. Without waiting for me to respond, he leaned towards me and reached around me with one arm, and I subconsciously held my breath. He reached for the seatbelt and looked up at me, locking his eyes with mine. He pulled the seatbelt over me, and fastened it in the buckle next to my hip. Embry kept his eyes on mine, and I couldn't look away. Finally, he cleared his throat and tore his eyes away, quickly turning back to fasten his own seatbelt.

Embry started the car, and my already pounding heart beat even faster. I had definitely gone crazy. One day in La Push had dissolved my life and my mental state into complete chaos. Though if that was the case, why was I so blissfully excited? This is definitely complete insanity.


	8. Superhuman

I'm soooo sorry! I'm not going to give you excuses, I'll just let you guys read! If it makes a difference, though, this is the longest chapter by far! I really hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

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><p>C<strong>HAPTER EIGHT: SUPERHUMAN<strong>

**_*Embry's POV*_**

I knew she was nervous; extremely nervous. Her face had fear written all over it, and her hands tightly gripped the edge of her seat.

"Relax, Melody," I tried to calm her, "it's just a car. People drive every day."

"I am relaxed," she tried to argue with me, but her voice was shaking. I wanted to comfort her more than anything. I felt a strong impulse to pull her into my arms and hold her, but I had to stop myself by repeating the number seventeen over and over in my head. I held onto the steering wheel just as tightly as she held onto her seat, but for a very different reason. Damn, Embry, keep your hands to yourself; she'll be eighteen soon enough.

"Don't tell me that riding in a car is scarier than hanging out with lions and tigers," I tried to joke.

"I guess not," she laughed, "it's just that…"

"It's different for you," I guessed when her voice trailed off.

"Exactly," she nodded, turning to face me, "I guess you could say it's out of my comfort zone."

"We could take a motorcycle if you want," I offered shrugging.

"Motorcycles?" her face lit up, a reaction I hadn't expected.

"You'd rather ride a motorcycle than ride in a car?"I grinned widely, laughing.

"Yes," she smiled, playfully smacking my arm and giggling.

"Do you want to take a motorcycle, then?" I asked, resting my arms on the steering wheel.

"No," she shook her head, still smiling, "I just have to suck it up!"

"All right," I agreed, turning the key and starting the car.

"We're taking motorcycles next time," she demanded as soon as the engine kicked in, making noise.

"You got it," I smiled widely; she was already counting on a 'next time'.

I lightly pushed the gas pedal, and her eyes widened as we inched forward. I sped up so I could pull out of my parking space, and instead of going slow like I'd originally planned, I slammed my foot on the gas, speeding up Sam and Emily's long driveway. Melody was screaming just like people do when they're riding roller coasters. I slowed the car down to a normal speed, and she stopped screaming.

"Embry! Are you crazy?" she shouted, half-laughing.

"A little," I shrugged.

"Sure," she laughed, "and wipe that smug grin off your face!"

I smiled wider, and she laughed again.

"Well, now you'll never be scared to ride in a car again," I told her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"We're still driving," I said.

"Oh," she looked out the window, "I didn't notice.

"See, I told you," I smiled.

"This is actually kind of nice," she relaxed, looking out of all the windows.

I drove down Sam and Emily's street, and Melody looked around, admiring all of the houses. We passed the schools, and she made a face; I would have to ask her about that later. She stared into the forest, and she smiled as we drove through the busier part of town. I told her about the diner, the souvenir shop where my mom works, the seafood restaurant, and the beach.

"See, that wasn't so bad," I smiled, helping her out of my truck once I'd parked in the lot by the beach.

"I guess not," she smiled. We walked down to the beach, and I stuffed my hands in my pockets. Melody pulled her sandals off her feet and dangled them in her hands when we reached the sand.

"It's nice here," she said, looking out at the ocean as we walked along the shore.

"You've been all over the world, and you think it's nice in La Push?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah," she nodded, "it's really…low-key here. Everything is so calm, it's simple, and nothing's flashy. The beach and the forest everywhere; there's something almost comforting about this place, you know?" she said, looking up at me, then darting her eyes to the ground, like she was embarrassed.

"I guess that's kind of stupid," she muttered.

"No, no, it's not," I reassured her, "but it seems like you put a lot of thought into it."

"I guess," she shrugged, "I always pay attention to nature, though; to the environment, and the animals."

I nodded, looking down at her to see her hair waving in the wind.

"Maybe we should head back," I said, stopping after we'd walked for a while.

"Okay," she agreed, looking up at me and squinting her eyes at the sun.

"Race you," I said, already running back towards the car.

"Cheater," she shouted. I turned my head, still running s fast as I could, and I was stunned. She was gaining on me fast, too fast. She laughed as she sped passed me, and no matter how hard I tried, pushing my legs to go faster, I couldn't catch her. Slightly out of breath, I finally reached the parking lot to see Melody leaning against my truck grinning victoriously.

"What took you so long?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"How do you run so fast?" I asked.

"Fast?" she scoffed, "I was going easy on you!"

"Don't tell me you can go faster," I shook my head at her smile.

"I most certainly can! Speed is my shape-shifting superpower!" she laughed.

"Well it's not mine," I admitted.

"So what is yours?" she asked, tilting her head.

"How about this," I grinned mischievously, picking her up and throwing her over my shoulder.

"Hey!" she shouted, as I began walking out of the lot. She pounded her fists on my back, and her punches weren't strong enough to hurt me, but I still felt them. I realized she was stronger than Emily or Kim had been in Jared and Sam's memories. While I was thinking, she swung her legs forward, and flipped her head up, throwing us both onto the pavement.

"Oww," I moaned, feeling a pain shoot up my arm.

"Thanks a lot," she muttered, sitting up and rubbing her head.

"Me?" I asked in disbelief, still on my back, propping myself up on my elbows.

"Yes, you," Melody said.

"Oh no, this is your fault," I told her.

"Well if you hadn't picked me up," she pointed her finger at me, smoothing her hair with her other hand.

"Thank god for magically fast healing," I said standing, the pain from the tumble completely gone.

"Huh," she breathed, standing, "I guess that's a superpower we both have in common!"

"Yeah, that's a useful one," I smiled, "just a little more useful than super speed though, don't you think?"

"Um, No," she said firmly.

"And why not?" I asked, slyly raising one eyebrow after she'd raised both of hers.

"Because I could take you down in a race any day," she smiled cunningly.

"Only because you have an unfair advantage. You wouldn't stand a chance if I was in wolf form," I shrugged honestly.

"Well then prove it," she countered.

"Okay, then let's race now, back to Sam's," I challenged.

"What about your truck?" she asked practically.

"I'll get it later," I waved off her concern.

"Alright," she shrugged, nodding in agreement.

"Let's go," I said, leading her towards the edge of the forest across the road. We weaved in between the trees, and we stopped when we reached a clearing, I figured this would be our starting place

"Wait," she narrowed her eyes at me, "I don't know where I'm going, and you do. Now _that _is an unfair advantage!"

"Just try and find someone's scent and follow it," I offered, shrugging.

"What? I think that's a wolf thing," she told me, pulling her eyebrows together.

"Oh,"I said, before grinning smugly, "then I guess you forfeit!"

"No way!" she shouted, her eyes widening. She looked around her, deep in thought. She was biting her lip at the corner of her mouth, and I couldn't focus on anything else but that. When her lips moved, I realized I'd missed her saying something to me.

"What?" I shook my head, snapping out of my daze. She raised her eyebrows at me, but thankfully, didn't say anything about it.

"I said," she emphasized her words loudly, "I'll just have to get a better view!"

"How?" I asked, now being the one who was confused.

"Just watch," she ordered me, and I held both my hands up, as if in forfeit. Suddenly, she was running again, speeding like a racecar.

"What are you doing?" I shouted, starting to run to her when she stopped.

"I'm going to phase so I can see where Sam and Emily's house is," she told me, pointing towards the sky.

"Oh, okay," I nodded in understanding, relaxing my stance. She rolled her eyes at me. She started again, speeding across the clearing and disappearing into the trees. I squinted my eyes to look up at the sky to see a figure flying, circling above the trees. Then, the figure dove back down, disappearing into the treetops. I turned my gaze back to the trees Melody had run through, and she reappeared.

"I found it," she told me, walking back towards me.

"All right," I nodded, "but why did you run?" I asked the question that was on the top of my head.

"Oh, I have to run to phase that way. I need the momentum so that I can take off and fly," she answered matter-of-factly.

"Every time you give me an answer, it gives me more questions," I chuckled, shaking my head.

""Well there'll be plenty of time for questions later, at the bonfire tomorrow," she reminded me, "but for now, quit stalling because I have a race to win!"

"We'll see about that," I shrugged my shoulders, "and I'm not stalling."

"Hmph. Okay then, let's go!" she challenged.

"Just gimme a sec, I have to phase," I said, jogging back into the forest. I attached my clothes to my ankle, and concentrated, letting the heat flow through me. I started shaking, and I burst into my wolf form. I took a deep breath before moving back into the clearing, I was nervous about what Melody's reaction to me would be. Even though I now knew she'd seen dozens of shape-shifters before, I couldn't help but be nervous. Walking right up to Melody, she heard me and turned around, giving me a small smile. She sighed, and reached her hand out to scratch behind my ears. My tail wagged quickly like a dogs, I couldn't contain my joy at her touch.

"Even as a wolf you're still taller than me," she sighed. It was true, I was now down to her eye level, though as a large wolf, I was still slightly taller. That was a testament to the size of both the wolf and human forms of everyone in the pack. Especially since Melody wasn't exactly short, I would guess she was around 5'6", but she must've felt short compared to my 6'3".

"All right, let's go!" she patted my neck, and let her hand drop. I wondered if she was more comfortable with me when I was in wolf form. We walked side by side to the edge of the clearing facing Sam and Emily's house, and readied ourselves in running stances.

"Ready?" she asked. I nodded my head. "One, two," she counted, "three, go!"

As soon as she'd said to go, we both sprung forward, bounding through the woods. I kicked up dirt with my legs, and looked over at Melody to see we were pretty evenly matched. I pushed to go fast, and she pushed faster.

"_Having fun?"_ I heard suddenly in my head. It was Quil on patrol.

"_You're distracting me, man," _I told him.

"_All right, well you two crazy kids have fun,"_ he teased, _"I'll give you five minutes, but if you tell Sam or Jake, I'll kick your ass."_

"_Thanks man,"_ I definitely owed him now.

"_Damn right you do. Welcome to the imprint club,"_ he laughed, and I felt him phase back. I mentally rolled my eyes at him, and returned my full focus to the race. Melody had gained some ground, but I felt the competitive streak in the wolf side of me coming out. That rush of sudden adrenaline gave me a burst of speed and energy, and I was able to edge past Melody. Before she had a chance to speed up, I ran in front of her, cutting her off. She didn't pause, or even slow down for a second. She jumped, and flipped up, pushing off of my back and vaulting over me. I kept running, and when she landed, we were on an even playing field. When one of us gained even an inch, the other matched it instantly.

Sniffing the air, I knew we were close to Sam and Emily's house. Knowing we were almost there, I gave everything I had to this last ditch effort. Melody picked up on that, though, and sensing me running faster and straining, she did the same. I saw the house through the trees, and we were completely neck and neck.

We burst into Sam and Emily's yard. Melody finished neatly, coming to a complete stop at her will. I stopped, and sprayed a thick amount of dirt to my side. Looking around, I saw that everyone was staring at us looking completely surprised. I dodged into the trees and quickly phased back, throwing on my shorts. Walking back into the front yard, I saw Melody brushing dirt off of her legs. She spun around when she saw me.

"Cheater!" she pointed her finger at me in an accusation.

"I didn't cheat," I said slyly, grinning and holding my hands up.

"Yes, you did," she rose her eyebrows at me, widening her eyes as if in disbelief.

"I didn't, it's Quil's fault," I shrugged.

"Oh, please," she muttered, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Hey!" I heard a voice shout. I turned my head to look at everyone, and they were all staring at us looking confused. I looked behind them to see Quil emerge from the trees.

"I thought you were on patrol!" I told him, pulling my eyebrows together as everyone moved to let him through, they were all still in a confused daze.

"Nah," he shrugged, "Claire's coming today, I wanted to see if she was close."

"Who's Claire?" Melody asked and I waved my hand dismissing her question. She scoffed. The situation with Claire was just too complicated to explain to her now.

"She hasn't even left the house yet," Quil sighed. Before I could respond, I heard a booming voice that could only ever belong to one person.

"Will someone please tell us what's going on," Sam demanded. He didn't like to be out of the loop.

"Me and Embry we were racing," she explained and then turned to me, "and I would've won but he cheated."

"I told you-" I started, trying to justify myself to her, but was cut off.

"That was not my fault, that's on you," Quil told me.

"Hah," Melody said, crossing her arms.

"Man, you got beat by a girl," Paul laughed. Rachel turned to glare at him, and he stopped abruptly, hanging his head.

"You should all be used to it by now," Leah said before storming off into the woods.

"What's up with her?" Quil muttered. I shrugged; no one seemed to know why Leah was mad. She used to be constantly mad, but over the past few years, she'd seemed to lighten up. Leah was even a bridesmaid in Emily's wedding. She still got upset sometimes though, and no one questioned her. I turned back to Melody, Paul being scolded by Rachel reminded me that I didn't want any trouble with my imprint…I still couldn't get used to how much I loved the way that sounded.

"Actually Melody," everyone turned their attention back to us, "we tied."

"Only because you cheated," she insisted.

"Fine," I surrendered, "you won!" I didn't want to give in, she was even pretty when she was mad, but I didn't want her to be mad at me.

"See that wasn't so bad," she smiled, patting my arm like I was a little kid. I laughed to myself. I loved this girl's attitude.

"Okay loser," Jake said, walking up to me, "time for our patrol."

I nodded, and followed him reluctantly, leaving Melody with everyone else. I suddenly felt an ache; I wouldn't be able to see her until tomorrow. Damn, I was in deep.


End file.
